Platform for Youth Development
Trust (PYD) joins the whole world to commemorate the International Youth Day
which is celebrated on 12 August every year. On 17 December 1999, in its resolution
54/120, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the
recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth
(Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day.
This year (2015) theme is Youth Civic
Engagement. This theme is a
commentary on the experiences of young people all over the world who have been
victims of socio-political and economic exclusion. The theme seeks to promote
young people’s effective inclusive engagement at all levels including governments,
regional and multi lateral organizations, civic society, youths, researchers
and academics. Civic engagement involves, “working
to make a difference in the civic life of one’s community and developing the
combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that
difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community through both
political and non political processes (Erlich 2000)”
Platform for Youth
Development welcomes this year’s theme in that it is a call for young people to
be involved in the processes and issues that affect them. Civic engagement includes both paid and unpaid forms of political
activism, environmentalism and community national service (Michelson et al
2002).Young people have been viewed as passive and in other corners as
problems, labels which have contributed to the justification for their exclusion.
Civic engagement does not only bring social cohesion but is also central in
providing the much needed youth protection from violence, abuse, exploitation
and neglect. Global capitalism has contributed to unemployment, higher levels
of inequality and marginalization which has negatively affected the young
people due to the fact that they are not given opportunities of coming together
to be a collective source of change. Because young people are not always fully
involved, they are unable to fully participate in the democratic processes of
their countries. Policy directed at youths must shift from the current focus on
control and containment to pro active methods that increase youth participation.
Civic action helps the young people to define the public good and to determine
the policies by which they will seek to reform or replace institutions that do
not serve that good
The theme for this year
resonates with the work of Platform for Youth Development who has already been
engaging policy makers in terms of issues affecting their local communities.PYD
is working closely with the parliamentary portfolio committee on Youth,
Indiginization and Economic Empowerment. Engagement with this committee is
helping to mitigate relations between Green fuel and the communities in
Chisumbanje and Chinyamukwakwa.Platform for Youth Development is also engaging
the parliamentary portfolio committee on Environment, Water, Tourism and
Hospitality. This engagement is aimed at resolving the wildlife conflict that
has affected communities along the Save Valley conservancy in Chipinge.
Platform for Youth
Development is convinced that civic engagement is the answer to many challenges
facing the young people in Africa and the whole world. In the communities where
PYD is operating there has been high level civic engagement with the latest
involving young women who are doing vending in Chipinge town. Most of these
young women have been in running battles with council police who want them to
pay $300 dollars to get a stand and $20 monthly rentals as a precondition to
access the new vending area. This is a cause for concern because the vendors
are not able to afford the monies being charged.
PYD wishes to use the
International Youth Day to appeal to other fellow young people that this is an
opportunity to work together and engage in activities that positively transform
the image of young people all over the world. The engagement and participation
of youth is essential to achieve sustainable human development.
Inserted by PYD
Information Department
P.Bag 5004, Checheche,
Chipinge
Contact + 263 773 010
331/ + 263 714 179 219
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